Insulated terminal



J. P. WATSON 3,034,094

INSULATED TERMINAL Filed Jan. l1, 1960 5 ff /2 f3 f6 2f 24 fa 22 f4\ 26 26 '111111111111 rlll,\,\\\\

JAMES P. WATSON,

INVENTOR.

HER ZIG E: JESSUP,

United States This invention relates to insulated terminals, and particularly terminals for the reception of conducting wires which may be spaced very close to each other without danger of voltage breakdown or insulation between adjacent terminals.

Certain characteristics of the terminal are similar to those of the terminal illustrated in U. S. Patent No. 2,882,515, Watson, to which reference is made for fuller understanding of this invention.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved electric terminal for an electrical conductor.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an electric terminal which may be readily insulated from its surroundings.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an electric terminal adapted to be mounted in multiplicity on a terminal board, with a plurality of such terminals closely spaced together.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an electric terminal which is well suited to provide a passage- Way through a sealed barrier or Wall, such as would be exemplified by the housing or casing of an electrical apparatus.

In accordance with these and other objects which will become apparent hereinafter, preferred forms of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings wherein:

FiG. 1 is a plan view illustrating a terminal block or member having a plurality of closely juxtaposed electric terminals or connectors arranged thereon in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-section taken on line 2-2 in FIG. 1.

FG. 3 is an enlarged crosssection of a single connector or terminal.

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3, illustrating a modied form of connector.

FlG. 5 is a fragmentary perspective View, illustrating a portion of the electric terminal of FIG. 3 at one stage in its fabrication, and

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view similar to FIG. 5, illustrating the modified form of FIG. 4.

Referring to the drawing, there is shown in FIG. l a terminal block or member 11 having a plurality of substantially parallel bores 12 therethrough. Residing in each bore 12 is a cylindrical insulating tube 113 passing through the block 11 and projecting therefrom at each side of the block, as shown at 14.

Within the insulating tube 13 is an elongate conducting member or terminal in the form of a conducting tube 16. The tube 16 projects at each end beyond the respective ends 14 of the cylindrical insulating sleeve 13, and the projecting portion is indented inwardly to form a helical groove 17, which encircles the tube once, as shown in FIG. 5. At each extended end of the tube 16, an axial groove or passageway 1S is cut through the wall of the tube. FIG. 5 shows the tube 16 in the process of fabrication after the helical indentation 17 has been formed. To complete fabrication of this conducting portion of the terminal, the tube is cut away as shown at 18' in FIG. 6, which illustrates a modiiied form of terminal. The extended axial groove shown at 1S is the same in both modifications of the invention.

At the other end of the helical indentation 17 the tube is indented inwardly, as shown at 19, to form a longiatent 3,34,094 Patented May 3, 19152 ICS tudinal passageway, the outer walls ofthe passageway being completed by the insulating sleeve 13, as shown in FIG. 3. Also, as shown in FIG. 3, each end of the terminal or conducting tube 16 is substantially identical.

To use the terminal, a bendable conducting wire 21 is inserted into the longitudinal passageway 19, and then laid helically in the indentation 17, departing axially from the terminal by passing through the groove 18 and under the horn 32 (FIG. 6), residing in the hollow center porsecure the sleeve 24 in place, `a strong but llexible ringv 26, made preferably of plastic, is tirst slid over the wire 21-23 and then slid over the end of the insulating sleeve 24, where the sleeve encireles the cylindrical insulation 14.

The mounting member 11 may be either a terminal block, as illustrated in FIG. 1, or may be a continuous wall, such as the housing or casing of a piece of electrical equipment, as indicated in FIG. 3. In FIGS. l, 2 and 3, the mounting block 11 has been shown as being made of conducting material. Thus to separate one terminal 16 electrically from its fellow terminals, the cyindrical insulating tube 13 is required. However, when the mounting block 11 is itself an insulating member, as shown at 11' in FIG. 4, the insulating sleeve 13 may be omitted. To take its place at the projecting ends of the conducting terminal 16, however, a pair of cylindrical bosses 14', formed integral with the mounting block 11, are formed. f

As in the FIG. 3 embodiment, the portion of the terminal 16' carrying the helical indentation 17 projects even beyond these protuberant bosses 14', in order to allow the bendable conductor 21 to be inserted and wound around the terminal 16.

The embodiment shown in FIG. 4 also illustrates a modied form of tube 16', wherein the inner end of the wire 21 is accommodated inside the tube 16', as shown at 19', by forming a hole 31 at the inner end of the indentation 17', and communicating with the center 19' of the tube 16'. As in the case of the previous embodiment, the outer end of the terminal 16 is grooved longitudinally at 18 to form a horn 32 under which thewire 21' is tucked as it departs axially from the terminal 16.

The modification illustrated in FIG. 4 also illustrates that the ring 26' may, if desired, be formed integral with the flexible insulating sleeve 24 at the end thereof.

As illustrated in FIG. 4, the center of the tube 16 is pinched together at 33 to form a dead end for the reception of the respective wires 21', which are pushed into the tube 16 from the opposite ends thereof. The pinching at 33 takes the place of the ends of the longitudinal indentations 19 of FIG. 3, which form stops for i the wires in the FIG. 3 embodiment.

eating with an end of said member, said member alsoV havingY a longitudinal passageway communicatingV with the other end of said helical indentation, an insulating member circumjacent said conducting member and covering the same except for the portion having said helical indentation and said longitudinal groove, said longitudinal passageway, said helical indentation and said longitudinal groove being adapted to receive-.a bendable electric conductor which extends axially away from said conducting member, an insulating sleeve, said conducting member and.` insulating member being adapted to receive thereover said insulating sleeve, and a strengthening ring extending over the end of said insulating sleeve circumjacent said insulating member.

2. Electrical connection means comprising an elongate tubular conducting member having a helical indentation therearound terminating in a longitudinal groove coml j municating with an end of said member, said conducting member also having a longitudinal passageway com- Vmunicating with the other end of said helical indentation,

a cylindrical insulating member circumjacent said conducting member and covering the same except for the Y portion thereof having said1helicalrindent'ation and said longitudinal groove, a bendable electric conductor residing in said passageway and indentationand extending axially away from said member through said groove,

Y `member, cylindrical insulation members projecting from said mounting member on each side thereof, a plurality of substantiailyparallel insulated bores through said cylindrical members and mounting member, elongate tubular Velectrically conductive terminal members disposed vinsaid bores and projecting at each side of said mounting member beyond'said cylindrical insulating members, each said, tubular terminal member at each side of said mounting member having a helical indentation therearound in the-portions Yprojecting beyond saidrinsulating members, and each of Ysaid tubular terminal members at each side of said mounting member further having avlongitudinal groove Vcommunicating with said helical indentation at each extended end of said terminal member and a longitudinal passageway communicating with said helicalY indentation at the other end thereof, said helical indentation, said longitudinal passageway and said longitudinal groove being adapted to receive and secure a bendable electric conductor therein extending away from Said terminal substantially axially thereof, an insulating sleeve, said tubular terminal member and said projecting insulating member being adapted to'receive an insulating sleeve thereover, said clamping ring around the end of said insulating sleeve and circumjacent the projecting portion of said insulating member.

5. Electric connection means comprising a mounting member, cylindrical insulating members projecting from said mounting member on each side thereof, a plurality of substantially parallel insulated bores through said cylindrical insulating members and mounting member, elongate tubular conducting members disposed in said bores and projecting from said mounting member at each side thereof and beyond said insulating members, each of said tubular conducting members at each side of said mounting member having a helical indentation in the portion thereof projecting beyond said insulating member, and each of said tubular conducting members at each side of said ymounting member further having a longitudinal passageway communicating axially with said helical indentation at the outer end of said helical indentation, and another longitudinal passageway communicating with said helical indentation at the other end thereof, a bendable electric conductor disposed and secured in said passageways and indentation and extending away from said tubular conducting member substantially axially thereof, an insulating-sleeve over said conductor and tubular conducting member and projecting insulating member, and a clamping ring around the end of said insulating sleeve and circuinjacent said insulating member.

6. Electrical connection as claimed in claim 5 wherein said longitudinal passageway comprises a cylindrical bore disposed on the axis of said elongate tubular conducting member. i i

References Cited in theile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

